Throughout my life, I’ve traveled many different career paths. I went from being a cashier at McDonald’s, to a sales representative for Macy's, to doing green work with Student Conservation Association (SCA), and even to pursuing a career in Massage Therapy. I was searching for something that could sustain my financial situation, while matching my intellect and work effort. That determination and persistence to be successful eventually led me to Salesforce.

I was first introduced to Salesforce through a community outreach education program, which was a joint effort from World-Class Industrial Network (WIN), and Glen Hazel Community Resident Management Corporation (GHCRMC). It was the first of its kind to come to the Hazelwood Glen Hazel community, where I grew up and still live. Part one of the curriculum was a six month training course in administering Salesforce. During that time, we learned many topics including: Microsoft Excel essentials, Salesforce CRM essentials, Salesforce Foundation’s Nonprofit Starter Pack, Salesforce Data Entry, Salesforce Usability Audits, and Process Documentation. It was very effective having classmates and the instructor to study with and learn from.

During the salesforce training class, we were fortunate to also learn Wealth Building Skills, Soft Skills, and Professionalism. Part two of the curriculum was a three month internship. At my host site Urban Innovation21, I was able to put my knowledge and skills in Salesforce to the test. During my time with Urban Innovation21, I assisted with getting their Salesforce instance set up. This included: learning their business practices, identifying important information in their current data model, helping with the Quick Start planning phase, and building custom fields and objects in a Developer Edition.

I graduated top of my class on June 24, 2016. A few months after graduation, I was offered an entry level position at World-Class Industrial Network (WIN). On September 12, 2016, I joined WIN as their Technology Analyst Assistant. My first project was to continue working with Urban Innovation21 on transferring data to the same Production instance that I helped develop and design during my internship. I’m so thankful for this opportunity to advance my career in Salesforce, while I continue to learn from others who have over ten years of experience in Salesforce Administration.